Air source heat pump installation · Plymouth & the South West
A heat pump takes heat from the outside air and moves it into your home. Done right, it is a sensible long-term investment. Done wrong, it is expensive to run. We survey first, size the system from a heat-loss calculation, and install it through our MCS certification partner, which is the requirement for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant: £7,500 for homes on mains gas and £9,000 for homes on oil or LPG.
The facts
Straight answers, with the source next to each one.
Efficiency. A well-installed air source heat pump gives you around 3 to 4 units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses. A new gas boiler gives you about 0.9. That is the whole reason they work.
Energy Saving TrustRunning costs. Electricity costs roughly four times more per unit than gas, so against a modern gas boiler the saving is modest and depends on your tariff. Against oil, LPG or electric heating it is usually several hundred pounds a year.
Ofgem price capThe grant. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source heat pump for homes heated by mains gas, and £9,000 for off-gas homes heated by oil or LPG, in England and Wales. The £9,000 rate applies to applications from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. The installer must be MCS certified and the property needs a valid EPC. We deal with the application.
GOV.UKTypical cost. A 3-bed install is around £9,500 before the grant, so about £2,000 after the £7,500 gas grant, or less for homes eligible for the £9,000 oil and LPG grant. Your survey gives the fixed figure.
JCM typical installWho is doing the work. Our engineers hold the LCL Awards Level 3 Award in the Installation and Maintenance of Air Source Heat Pump Systems (603/7790/2), and the installation is registered through our MCS certification partner so that the grant can apply.
LCL Awards 603/7790/2Suitability
Most are, with the right design. These are the things we look at on the survey, and we will tell you if something should be done first.
Heat pumps run at lower temperatures than a boiler, so the better the house holds heat, the better the pump performs. If loft or wall insulation should come first, we will say so.
Some may need to be larger to give the same warmth at a lower flow temperature. The survey lists which, so there are no surprises on the day.
Somewhere outside for the unit, usually with room for a hot water cylinder inside. We look at noise and neighbours as part of choosing the position.
Heat pumps work best left on low and steady rather than blasted on and off. We set the controls up properly and show you how to use them.
Calculator
Set what you heat with now. Every assumption is shown and you can change it. It is an estimate; your survey replaces it.
Defaults are round figures close to the current Ofgem cap (electricity about 26p, gas about 6.5p). Oil is converted at 10.35 kWh per litre. Change them to match your bill.
Your calculator estimate is included in the message.
How it works
Your home, your current heating, what you want from it.
Room-by-room measurement so the pump, cylinder and radiators are sized right.
Grant applied, radiator changes listed, nothing hidden.
Installed and registered through our MCS certification partner.
Set up, explained, and covered by our one-year workmanship guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source heat pump for homes heated by mains gas, and £9,000 for off-gas homes heated by oil or LPG, in England and Wales. The £9,000 rate applies to applications from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. You need a valid Energy Performance Certificate and the installation must be carried out under MCS certification. We check eligibility at the survey and handle the application as part of the job.
Yes, if it is sized properly. Modern air source heat pumps keep working well below freezing; they just work a bit harder, which is why the sizing has to be done from a heat-loss calculation rather than a rule of thumb.
It depends what you are replacing. Against oil, LPG or electric heating the saving is usually several hundred pounds a year. Against a modern gas boiler the running cost can be similar, because electricity costs more per unit than gas. The calculator on this page shows the numbers for your own home, with every assumption visible.
Sometimes some of them. Heat pumps run at a lower temperature than a boiler, so a radiator that was borderline before may need to be larger. The survey lists exactly which, if any, before you commit to anything.
Yes. Our engineers hold the LCL Awards Level 3 Award in the Installation and Maintenance of Air Source Heat Pump Systems, non-refrigerant circuits (qualification 603/7790/2). Installations are registered through our MCS certification partner, which is the condition for the grant.
From a few metres away, about as loud as a fridge. Planning rules set a noise limit at your neighbour's nearest window, and we check the proposed position meets it as part of the survey.
Tell us what you require and we will advise you plainly on the right course of action. We serve homes, rental properties and commercial premises across Plymouth and the South West.